A child restraint system, also referred to as a child car seat, is used for safely transporting a child within an automotive vehicle, so as to minimize the risk of injury to the child in the event of an accident. The design of the child restraint system is based upon the size of the child. A typical rear-facing infant seat is designed for an infant up to about 11 kilograms (about 25 pounds) and comprises a removable carrier in which the infant is placed and which couples to a base that is securely installed in the vehicle. As the child grows, a forward-facing seat is recommended and is typically designed for a child between about 9 kilograms (about 20 pounds) and about 20 kilograms (about 45 pounds). A typical car seat for older children is a belt-positioning booster seat and may be designed for a child between about 18 kilograms (about 40 pounds) and about 45 kilograms (about 100 pounds). Even for a child within the recommended weight range for the particular design, adjustments may be necessary to features of the seat or to the installation of the seat into the vehicle based upon the weight of the child in order to optimize the safety of the child. One problem is that, as the child grows, the parent may not be aware that the child now exceeds the recommended range for the seat, or that the features or installation needs adjustment to accommodate the larger child.
Therefore, a need exists for a child restraint system that includes a sensor for determining the weight of a child occupant. The information about the child weight may then be correlated with information about the design and installation to alert the parent that child is not within the recommended weight range for the design, or that adjustments are recommended to the features or the installation of the child restraint system.